AP World History Flashcards

Chavin Civilizations (Foundations)

(900 BCE - 200 BCE, Latin America)

• Peru

• Earliest pre-Incan culture

• Domesticated llamas

• Grew maize, potatoes, and quinoa

• Urban centers around a temple

• and significant for extensive trade networks.

• Characterized by extensive trade networks linking diverse cultures in the Andes, facilitating the exchange of goods and ideas.

Cuneiform (Foundations)

(Around 3200 BCE, Middle East)

• An early system of writing developed by the Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia, using wedge-shaped marks made on clay tablets.

• It was one of the earliest forms of written communication and played a crucial role in the administration and culture of ancient civilizations.

• Enabled the recording of laws, trade transactions, and literature, thus contributing significantly to the development of complex societies.

Nile River Civilization (Foundations)

(3150 BCE - 417 CE, Egypt / Middle East)

• Unified by Menes

• Ruled by a pharaoh

• Mummification, building of tombs & pyramids

• Hieroglyphics, paper making, 365 calendar, architecture

• Women had more rights than other societies, with roles in property ownership and inheritance.

Mandate of Heaven (Foundations)

(1046 - 256 BCE, East Asia)

• Claim by Chinese kinds of the Zhou dynasty that they had direct authority from heaven to rule and keep order in the universe.

• If a ruler failed to fulfill their duties, it was believed that the mandate would be withdrawn, justifying their overthrow.

Mauryan Dynasty (Foundations)

(322 - 185 BCE, HEIGHT in 320 BCE, India / South Asia)

• Classical Indian dynasty under Ashoka, conquered the kingdom uniting the entire subcontinent.

• Promoted Buddhism

• Built irrigation systems, roads, and encouraged religious tolerance.

Jainism (Foundations)

(7th century BCE - c. 5th century CE, South Asia)

• Indian belief system that practiced non-violence to living things or their souls

• Rejected caste hierarchy

• Emphasized asceticism (practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, particularly from sensual pleasures, to achieve personal growth, spiritual enlightenment, or redemption).

Shang Dynasty (Foundations)

(c. 1600 - 1046 BCE, East Asia)

• Earliest ruling dynasty of China to be established in recorded history

• Oracle bones (ox bones and tortoise shells inscribed with early Chinese writing)

• Bronze weapons

• Horse-drawn chariots

• Compound bows

• Centralized government

Bantu Migrations (Foundations)

(2000 BCE - 1500 CE., Africa)

• Migrated to the eastern coast of Africa

• Spread farming, iron tools, and languages across Africa

• Established trade networks.

Legalism (Foundations)

(475 - 221 BCE, East Asia)

• Strict laws and punishments to strengthen the state

• Government strength lies in its agriculture and military

• Believed that a strong, authoritarian government could maintain order and stability.

Gupta Dynasty (Foundations)

(4th - late 6th century CE, South Asia)

• Indian empire known for a golden age of Hindu culture

• Advances in math (zero, decimals), science, art, and literature.

• Power was decentralized

• Trade across the Indian Ocean and Silk Roads (facilitated the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures, most notably luxury items)

Mayan Civilization (Foundations)

( 300 - 900 CE, Latin America)

• City states

• Developed writing and advanced mathematics, including the concept of zero. Known for impressive architecture, including pyramids and temples, as well as a complex calendar system.

• Terrace farming and trade networks across Mesoamerica.

Plato (Foundations)

(c. 428 - c. 348 BCE, Ancient Greece)

• Believed that everything was based on ideal forms or ideas

• Founded the Academy in Athens and wrote dialogues exploring ethics, politics, and knowledge.

• Student of Socrates, teacher of Aristotle.

Aristotle (Foundations)

(384 - 322 BCE, Ancient Greece)

• Disciple of Plato

• Believed people could obtain knowledge through observation and experience.

• Made significant contributions across various fields including philosophy, science, and politics, founding the Lyceum.

Laws of the Twelve Tables (Foundations)

(c. 450 BCE, Ancient Rome)

• Rome’s first written laws, applied to all citizens

• Made all laws public and consistent, preventing patricians (elites) from changing the rules at will

• Inscribed on twelve bronze tablets

Pax Romana (Foundations)

( 27 BCE - 180 CE, Ancient Rome)

• A 200-year-long period of peace in the Roman Empire

• Rome reaches its greatest territorial extent and population

• This era saw advancements in art, architecture, and culture, while also promoting trade and infrastructure development across the empire.

Socrates (Foundations)

(c. 470 - 399 BCE, Ancient Greece)

• Greek philosopher that used questioning to explore ethics

• Known for the Socratic method, which encourages critical thinking through dialogue. (SOCRATIC DISCUSSION!!!! WOW)

Julius Caesar (Foundations)

(100 - 44 BCE, Ancient Rome)

• Roman dictator

• Extended Roman citizenship to Gaul and consolidated (made stronger) government.

• Assassinated by governors and senators on the Ides of March, 44 BCE, due to fears of his power and ambitions.

Han Empire (Foundations)

(202 BCE - 220 CE, East Asia)

• After the collapse of the Qin Empire

• Founded by Gaozu

• Adopted Confucianism; merit system for government exams

• Introduced Buddhism

• Expanded the Silk Road trade networks, facilitating cultural exchange.

Constantine (Foundations)

(c. 272 - 337 CE, Roman Empire)

• Roman emperor

• Issued the Edict of Milan which outlawed the persecution of Christians

• Founded Constantinople

• Played a crucial role in the establishment of Christianity as the dominant religion in the Roman Empire.

Warring States (Foundations)

(403 - 221 BCE, East Asia)

• Period of Civil War in China

• Led to rise of Confucianism, Legalism, & Daoism

• Led to eventual unification under the Qin Dynasty.

Zoroastrianism (Foundations)

(6th century BCE, Middle East)

• One of the world's oldest monotheistic religions

• Founded by the prophet Zoroaster

• Emphasizes a focus of good vs. evil

• Belief in Ahura Mazda as the supreme god and the concepts of free will and judgment.

• It influenced other religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Emperor Wudi (Foundations)

(156 - 87 BCE, East Asia)

• Emperor of the Han Dynasty

• Stronger central government by taking land from lords and raising taxes

• Confucianism became China’s government philosophy

• Expanded Silk Road trade

• Established the civil service system. (shifting from aristocratic patronage to selecting officials based on their knowledge of Confucian classics through exams)

Alexander the Great (Foundations)

(356 - 323 BCE, Macedonia)

• King of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in history

• Known for his military conquests, including the Persian Empire

• Spread Greek culture and influence throughout his empire

• Established cities, most notably Alexandria in Egypt.

• He was tutored by Aristotle and united the Greek city-states before embarking on his campaigns.

Persian Empire (Foundations)

(c. 550 - 330 BCE, Middle East and South Asia)

• Founded by Cyrus the Great

• Expanded by Darius the Great

• Empire spread from India to the borders of Egypt

• Darius created a centralized government with a bureaucracy capital, Persepolis.

• Known for its infrastructure, including roads and canals, and cultural tolerance (Gate of Xerxes), fostering diverse local customs.

Qin Dynasty (Foundations)

(221 - 206 BCE, East Asia)

• First Chinese empire under Shi Huangdi

• Founder of the Qin Dynasty

• First centralized dynasty of China that used Legalism

• Achievements: Standardized weights, script writing, and measures; built the Great Wall of China; extensive road systems; initiated the Terracotta Army.

Civil Service (Foundations)

(650 CE and 1905, East Asia)

• System of testing designed to select the most studious and learned candidates for appointments in the Chinese government

• Based on Confucian philosophy

Polis (Foundations)

(Started around 8th c. BCE, Greece)

• Name of Greek city states

• Political and military unit

• Each polis operated independently, with its own government and laws.

Code of Hammurabi (Foundations)

(1755-1750 BCE, Middle East)

• Babylon

• Set of 282 laws that governed daily life; earliest collection of written laws in history, emphasizing justice and retribution.

Olmecs (Foundations)

(1200 - 400 BCE, Latin America)

• First Mesoamerican civilization

• Authoritarian rule (favoring or enforcing strict obedience to authority, especially that of the government, at the expense of personal freedom.)

• Known for pyramids and stone heads,the Olmecs were influential in architectural and artistic development in early Mesoamerica.

Yellow River Civilization (Foundations)

(9500 BCE - 1500 BCE, East Asia)

• First civilization established in Ancient China

• Founder: Yu

• Extensive irrigation and water control systems

• Significant agricultural developments, leading to urbanization and advanced societal structures.

Mesopotamia (Foundations)

(8000 BCE - 2000 BCE, Middle East)

• Between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers

• World’s first cities: Babylon and Ur

• Polytheistic, known for ziggurats

• City states and canals

• Birthplace of writing; developed cuneiform, a system of writing on clay tablets. Mesopotamia significantly influenced law, politics, and culture in the ancient world.

Paleolithic Age (Foundations)

(2.6 million years ago - 10,000 BCE, global)

• Predates agricultural societies

• Clans formed tribes with chiefs (chiefdoms)

• Hunter-gatherers

• Stone tools

• Ability to control fire to cook food, for warmth, smoke bees, and to see in dark.

• Early religion

• Expressions of art, including cave paintings

Neolithic Revolution (Foundations)

(c. 10,000 BCE, Middle East)

• Called New Stone Age

• Domestication of animals and cultivation of crops

• Permanent villages

• Pottery

• Textiles

• Fundamental transition from nomadic lifestyles to settled farming communities, leading to increased population growth and the development of complex societies.

Zhou Dynasty

(1050 BCE - 400 BCE, East Asia)

• Longest dynasty in Chinese history

• Feudal rule (where a king granted land (a fief) to nobles (his vassals) in exchange for loyalty and military service)

• Emperor was the first to claim to be a link between heaven and Earth (Mandate of Heaven)

• Iron tools

Indus River Civilizations (Foundations)

(3300 BCE - 1300 BCE, South Asia)

• Two main cities: Harappa and Mohenjo Daro

• Grid cities

• Used standardized weights and measures

• Unknown cause of decline

• Sophisticated drainage and sewage systems

• Trade with neighboring regions

• Script still undeciphered

Ziggurat (Foundations)

(2200 - 500 BCE, Middle East)

• Sumerian tiered temples for religious ceremonies

• Served as the center of city life, typically built in the center of a city-state, showcasing the power of the ruling class and the importance of religion.

Silk Road (Period 1)

(8th century until the early 17th century, Africa)

• Overland network China to Mediterranean

• Spread silk, spices, Buddhism, & plague

Trans-Saharan Trading Network (Period 1)

(130 BCE - 1453 CE., Europe and parts of Asia)

• Connected West Africa to North Africa

• Moved gold, salt, Islam via camels

Ghana, Mali, Songhai (Period 1)

(c. 13th to 16th century, Africa)

• West African empires that grew wealthy from gold and salt trade routes across the Sahara

• Promoted Islam and learning centers like Timbuktu

Indian Ocean Trading Network (Period 1)

(4 c. BCE to 1500 CE, Europe, Africa, Asia)

• World’s largest sea-based trade before 1500 CE

• Linked Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia

• It moved goods like spices, gold, and textiles, and spread Islam, languages, and technologies.

Great Schism (Period 1)

(1054, Europe)

• Christianity split into the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church

• Due to religious and political disagreements between the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople

Chinampas (Period 1)

(c. 1250 CE, Latin America)

• Aztec floating gardens or artificial/man-made island that used for farming on lakes.

Grand Canal (Period 1)

(building 581 - 1368, East Asia)

• Linked Yellow and Yangzi Rivers

• Longest man-made waterway

Champa Rice (Period 1)

(c. 900 CE, South and East Asia)

• Fast-ripened rice from Vietnam

• Boosted Song population

Kublai Khan (Period 1)

(1215 - 1294, East Asia)

• Established Yuan dynasty in China in 1279, ushering in period of Pax Mongolica (Mongol Peace)

Pax Mongolica (Period 1)

(13th and 14th centuries, Asia)

• Mongol peace across Eurasia

• Secured Silk Road

Delhi Sultanate (Period 1)

(1206 - 1520, South Asia)

• The first Islamic government established within India

Japanese Feudalism (Period 1)

(12 century - 1867, East Asia)

• A military government in Japan where a shogun led and samurai served under local lords

Great Zimbabwe (Period 1)

(1250 - 1350 CE, Africa)

• A powerful state in the African kingdom that grew rich from trading gold along the East African coast

Seljuk Turks (Period 1)

(1055, Middle East and Asia)

• Nomadic Turks from Asia who conquered Baghdad and allowed the caliph to remain as only a religious leader

House of Wisdom (Period 1)

(late 8th century, Middle East)

• Abbasid academy in Baghdad

• Intellectual center of Islamic Golden Age

Tang Dynasty (Period 1)

(618 - 907 CE, East Asia)

• Confucian bureaucracy and land reforms

• Hired officials by exam

Magna Carta (Period 1)

(1215, Europe)

• Established principles of due process and equality before the law

• Limited the king’s power

Yuan Dynasty (Period 1)

(1279 - 1368, East Asia)

• Dynasty in China set up by the Mongols under the leadership of Kublai Khan, replaced the Song

• Set up a centralized bureaucracy

• Beijing capital

• Rebuilt the Grand Canal

Dar al-Islam (Period 1)

(13th - 14th century, Middle East)

• Land unified by Islam, trade, and culture

• Included Ottomans, Seljuks, Mamluks

Manorialism (Period 1)

(5th - 12th centuries, Europe)

• An economic system where lord owned land and peasants farmed it in exchange for protection

Neo-Confucianism (Period 1)

(11th - early 20th century, East Asia)

• Confucian revival influenced by Buddhism

• Focused on social behavior

• Philosopher Zhu Xi wrote Family Ritual, promoting moral behavior

Sunnis (Period 1)

(Starts 632, Middle East)

• The largest branch of Islam

• Believe caliph (leader) should be chosen by community

Muhammad (Period 1)

(c. 570-632, Middle East)

• About 610 CE, had a spiritual experience that he was the last prophet of Allah 

• Qur’an collected his teachings

• Hijra (journey to Mecca) became the starting point of the Islamic calendar

Hundred Years War (Period 1)

(1337 - 1453, Europe)

• England vs. France

• Joan of Arc led French resistance

• French victory expelled English

Incan Empire (Period 1)

(1400 - 1533 CE, Peru)

• Government led by military elite

• Quipu (cords of variety color and length) for record keeping

• Waru Waru - agricultural technique combined raising beds with irrigation to prevent erosion

• Road network

Ibn Battuta (Period 1)

(1304 - 1369, Middle East)

• Muslim scholar who visited many parts of the Islamic world

• The most widely traveled individual of his time, documented his travels

Mongol Empire (Period 1)

(reigned 1260 - 1294, Asia)

• Consolidated rule in China

• Golden Horde (group of Mongols) overran Russia

Mansa Musa (Period 1)

(r. 1312 - 1337, Africa)

• Mali ruler, extremely wealthy

• Famous pilgrimmage to Mecca

Genghis / Chinggis Khan (Period 1)

(1162 - 1227, Asia)

• Leader who brought all Mongol tribes together in 1206 and proclaimed himself universal ruler.

• United Central Asia and used equestrian skills

Feudalism (Period 1)

(5th - 12th centuries, Europe)

• A system in medieval Europe where nobles got land for military service and peasants worked the land

Umayyad Dynasty (Period 1)

(661 - 750 CE, Middle East)

• An Islamic Dynasty based of succession rather than election

• Expanded the empire East and West

• Succession disputes weakened empire 

Zheng He (Period 1)

(Traveled from 1405 - 1433, Southeast Asia → Africa)

• Muslim eunuch explorer

• Led Ming trade voyages across Indian Ocean

Sufism (Period 1)

(13th and 16th centuries CE, Middle East)

• Mystical Muslim group

• Focuses on prayer, simplicity, and closeness to God

Aztecs (Period 1)

(1200 - 1521, Mexico)

• A powerful civilization that engaged in frequent warfare

• Grew corn, polytheistic, and practiced human sacrifice

Crusades (Period 1)

1096 - 1270, Europe and Middle East)

• Christian holy wars for Holy Land → deepened hostility among Christians, Jews, and Muslims

• Facilitated exchange of ideas and stimulated commerce

Heian Japan (Period 1)

(794 - 1185, East Asia)

• A time in Japan when. Chinese influence declined

• Growth of Japanese art, poetry, literature

Song Dynasty (Period 1)

(960 - 1279 CE, East Asia)

• Chinese dynasty known for inventions like gunpowder, magnetic compass, and paper money, & for trading overseas

Sui Dynasty (Period 1)

• Chinese dynasty that built the Grand Canal to move rice from south to north

Bubonic Plague (Period 1)

(Early 1330s to 1450, Europe, East Asia, and Asia)

• Deadly disease from China to Europe

• Killed 25 million (1/3 of Europe)

• Weakened trade, caused major social change

Holy Roman Empire (Period 1)

(Started in 800 CE, Europe)

• A Germanic empire in Europe that started  when Charlemagne was crowned “Emperor of the Romans” by Pope Leo III

Emperor Justinian (Period 1)

(529 - 565, Middle East)

• Byzantine ruler who built the Hagia Sophia and created a law code based on Roman laws

Byzantine Empire (Period 1)

(330 - 1453 CE, Middle East)

• Eastern Roman Empire centered in Constantinople

• Christian empire

• Longest lasting medieval power

Charlemagne (Period 1)

(742 - 814 CE, Europe)

• King of the Franks who expanded his rule into Germany and became Holy Roman Emperor in 800 CE

Hanseatic League (Period 1)

(1400s - 1600s, Europe)

• A trade group in northern Europe that helped cities trade goods like fish and grain using credit and banking

Marco Polo (Period 1)

(1254 - 1324, Europe and East Asia)

• An Italian explorer who traveled to China and shared his experiences with Europe

Abbasid Dynasty (Period 1)

• Muslim dynasty in Baghdad

• Encouraged trade and wealth

• Military-based power

• Led by the caliphs

Shiites (Period 1)

(Starts 632, Middle East)

• Minority branch of Islam

• Leadership should remain in Muhammad’s family

Treaty of Tordesillas (Period 2)

(1494, Europe and the Americas)

• An agreement between Portugal and Spain, declaring that newly discovered lands to the west of an imaginary line in the Atlantic Ocean would belong to Spain and newly discovered lands to the east of the line would belong to Portugal.

Francisco Pizarro (Period 2)

(1475 - 1541, Latin America)

• In 1532 ____ landed in South America and established the first Spanish settlement in Peru. A civil War amongst the Inca was taking place and many Inca were sick from diseases brought by the Spanish such as Smallpox.

• ____ set a trap for Atahualpa (last effective Inca emperor) and took him prisoner and executed him.

• In 1535, he established the city of Lima as the new capital of Peru.

Middle Passage (Period 2)

(1518 to mid 19th century, Africa & Americas & Europe)

• The forced voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World. It was one leg of the triangular trade route that took goods from Europe to Africa; Africans to work as slaves in the Americas and West Indies, and raw materials, back to Europe.

Edict of Nantes (Period 2)

(1598, Europe)

• Decree issued by the French crown granting limited toleration to French crown granting limited toleration to French Protestants.

• Ended religious wars in France and inaugurated a period of French preeminence in Europe and across the Atlantic. Its repeal in 1685 prompted a fresh migration of Protestant Huguenots to North America.

Ottoman Empire (Period 2)

(1453 - 1922, Middle East & Africa & Europe)

• Islamic state founded by Osman in northwestern Anatolia

• After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, the _______ was based in Istanbul (formerly Constantinople)

Mercantilism (Period 2)

(18th century, Europe)

• An economic policy under which nations sought to increase their wealth by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by selling more goods than they bought

John Calvin (Period 2)

(1509 - 1564, Europe)

• Swiss theologian (born in France) whose tenets (predestination and the irresistible grace and justification of faith) defined Presbyterianism

Galileo Galilei (Period 2)

(1564 - 1542, Europe)

• An Italian who provided more evidence for heliocentrism and questioned if the heavens really were perfect.

• He invented a new telescope, studied the sky, and published what he discovered.

• Because his proved evidence that the Bible was wrong he was arrested and ended up on house arrest for the rest of his life.

Peter the Great (Period 2)

(r. 1689 - 1725, Asia)

• Russian tsar

• He enthusiastically introduced Western languages and technologies to the Russian elite, moving the capital from Moscow to the new city of St. Petersburg.

Akbar the Great (Period 2)

(1542 - 1605, South Asia)

• Emperor of the Mughal Empire in India. He’s considered to be their greatest ruler.

• He is responsible for the expansion of his empire, the stability his administration gave to it, and the increasing of trade and cultural diffusion

Christopher Columbus (Period 2)

(1492, the Americas & the Caribbean)

• An Italian navigator who was funded by the Spanish Government to find a passage to the Far East.

• He is given credit for discovering the “New World", even though at his death he believed he’d made it to India.

• The first sighting of land was on October 12, 1492.

Ivan the Terrible (Period 2)

(1533 - 1584, Asia)

• Earned his nickname for his great acts of cruelty directed toward all those whom he disagreed, even killing his own son.

• He became the first ruler to assume the title Czar of all Russia

Ferdinand Magellan (Period 2)

(1519 - 1522, Europe)

• Portuguese navigator who led the Spanish expedition that was the first to sail around the world

Isaac Newton (Period 2)

(1643 - 1727, Europe)

• Considered one of the most important scientists in history

• Developed the theory of gravity, the laws of motion, calculus, and made breakthrough in the area of optics such as the reflecting telescope

English Civil War (Period 2)

(1642 and 1660, Europe)

• Supporters of Parliament against the Crown,

• The trial and execution of Charles I

• The replacement of the monarchy with the Commonwealth of England (1649 - 1653)

• The rise of Oliver Cromwell to a virtual military dictatorship

• The ultimate outcome was the discrediting of the idea of the divine rights of kings and the belief that parliament was now supreme, establishing a constitutional monarchy.

Vasco da Gama (Period 2)

(1497 - 1498, Europe & Asia)

• Portuguese explorer, he led the first naval expedition from Europe to sail to India, opening an important commercial sea route

Single Whip Tax System (Period 2)

(1570s, East Asia)

• A policy put forth by the Ming requiring a single national tax and that all taxes be paid in the form of silver, including those taxes paid by tributary states

• China now had to fulfill the demand for silver

• Silver made its way into China from both the Americas and Japan